Public transit is becoming an increasingly important and complex means of transportation. For many individuals, public transit is their only available means of transportation. Because they cannot drive, don't have a car, or have a physical or mental disability, they must rely solely on public transportation. Many of these individuals are intimidated by the complexities of public transit, including identifying proper routes and transfer points according to schedule, and therefore remain trapped in their homes. For those with special needs, it is especially daunting to get from one location to another without any assistance, especially on their first few trips. Some of these individuals must board a bus with a stroller or wheel chair. Others have failing sight or hearing that can make it extremely difficult for them to read the bus schedule or hear the bus driver announce stops. Many of these riders have varying degrees of mental or physical disabilities that requires another person to guide them through the process.
Transit agencies now employ “travel trainers,” whose sole job is to teach new riders with special needs how to successfully travel to and from a particular location using transit. Due to the amount of time required in teaching and monitoring individuals with various needs there is often an extensive waiting list for such assistance from the travel trainers. Travel trainers ride with the individual until they feel that the rider can properly navigate the transit system on their own. At that point, the travel trainer will let the person ride by themselves for the first time. The travel trainer or family members usually follow the bus by car in order to guarantee that the rider makes it safely to their intended destination. The individual usually enjoys such outings, as their destination may be a job or other location where can meet others to socialize and interact with society. However, the caretaker is usually reluctant to allow another person to supervise their loved one. For those who successfully learn to navigate the transit system, often the caretaker of the individual is reluctant to allow them to travel without any supervision, usually due to the fear that the person may become lost and unable to return home.
Using public transit can be daunting even where a rider does would not be categorized as having special needs. Navigating the transit system can be a major obstacle for attracting new riders, especially for special needs populations. A range of techniques from advertising to online trip planners to travel trainers are used by transit agencies to overcome this barrier to increase ridership. Research has found that current informational materials do not fully meet this need. According to the National Center for Transit Research (NCTR), approximately half of the general population surveyed could not successfully plan an entire trip on the fixed-route transit system using printed information materials. This situation is magnified for many of the 50 million Americans with disabilities who depend on transit as their primary means to and from school, work, doctor appointments, and other essential activities. For those with cognitive disabilities (approximately 14.2 million Americans, or 6.9% of the population), it is especially daunting to plan and execute a trip without any personal assistance from travel trainers provided by the transit agency or other group, especially on their first few trips.
Previous research in the area of using mobile devices to aid those with disabilities has been performed by a variety of institutions and companies. A product called the “Trekker” has been developed for the visually impaired. The device is a personal digital assistant (PDA) connected to a GPS device and a Braille input device[3]. This product is similar to an off-the-shelf Pocket PC-based navigation system but has been modified to allow simple communication with the visually impaired. However, this device does not allow real-time communication with the Internet and therefore does not provide tracking services or remote monitoring by a travel trainer or caretaker. Additionally, the cost of the system is high due the combination of high-cost devices. Most importantly, the device is customized for those with visual impairments, including the use of a Braille reader, and is not suitable for those with cognitive disabilities.
Communication systems allowing users of transit systems to seek out and actively retrieve, or “pull”, information concerning transit system status are known in the art. For instance, websites and fixed electronic signs have been designed that allow a user to obtain desired information. These systems can be very expensive to install and maintain. While access to the website is possible from a mobile phone, it requires that users type in the web address on the internet browser on the phone, browse to their website, and then “drill-down” through several menus to select your current transit agency, route, and select from a multitude of choices. This activity can be cumbersome in the least and a major obstacle to anyone who doesn't have much time to spare or who does not have advanced knowledge of how to access the internet through their mobile phone. All transit users, including those with cognitive disabilities, would greatly benefit from a “push” notification system for information as to where the bus currently is located as well as an estimated time-until-arrival.
A method of distant observation is needed in order to give the individual their own sense of privacy and independence while providing the caretaker and travel trainer with information as to the location of the individual so immediate action can be taken if the individual becomes is in danger. If this method could be implemented in a modern device, such as a cell phone, the individual could avoid the stigma associated with specialized devices that are made specifically for the mentally or physically disabled. In turn, the traveler will feel like they are “fitting in” by carrying such a modern device while providing their loved ones with needed peace-of-mind. There is further needed a system which integrates real-time information based upon the status of the transit system to help the user and the user's guide or caretaker navigate the system as safely and effectively as possible. The present invention solves these important needs.